Anna Maria Jennaert

< Isolated children >

The Green Children of Woolpit

Jean de Liège

Our primary source is Digby's Two Treatises.

16 years in the wild

Jean de Liège disappeared into the forests of Ardennes at the age of five when he took fright at the plundering of his village by marauding troops, and was not returned to civilisation until the age of 21. He apparently subsisted in the intervening period on vegetable matter, including leaves, fruits and roots.

Enhanced sense of smell

Whilst living wild Jean de Liège had developed a heightened sense of small that he gradually lost after his return to society.

Defeated by winter

Jean de Liège was discovered after a harsh winter drove him to steal food from villages, but only apprehended after much effort, having successfully evaded the first attempts at capture.

Not the Ardenne wolf-boy

We are to suppose that this is not the same child as the Ardenne wolf-boy, since Ross is quite specific that wolves were involved in the latter case, and anyway Ross predates the supposed capture of Jean in the 1630s.

Not a sculptor

Of course, this child is not the famous French sculptor Jean de Liège, who lived in the 14th century.